This is a set of 20 cards for your non-verbal child.
You can laminate them, then use a hole punch in the upper left hand corner and add a ring to hold them together. If you prefer you can also put them into a folder or photo album.
For Parents/Teachers
Is Your Child Getting Enough Sleep?
How Much Sleep Do Children Need?
1-3 Years Old: 12 – 14 hours per day
As your child moves past the first year toward 18-21 months of age he will likely lose his morning and early evening nap and nap only once a day. While toddlers need up to 14 hours a day of sleep, they typically get only about 10.
Most children from about 21 to 36 months of age still need one nap a day, which may range from one to three and a half hours long. They typically go to bed between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and wake up between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.
3-6 Years Old: 10 – 12 hours per day
Children at this age typically go to bed between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and wake up around 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., just as they did when they were younger. At age 3, most children are still napping, while at age 5, most are not. Naps gradually become shorter, as well. New sleep problems do not usually develop after age 3.
7-12 Years Old: 10 – 11 hours per day
At these ages, with social, school, and family activities, bedtimes gradually become later and later, with most 12-years-olds going to bed at about 9 p.m. There is still a wide range of bedtimes, from 7:30 to 10 p.m., as well as total sleep times, from 9 to 12 hours, although the average is only about 9 hours.
12-18 Years Old: 8 – 9 hours per day
Sleep needs remain just as vital to health and well-being for teenagers as when they were younger. It turns out that many teenagers actually may need more sleep than in previous years. However, for many teenagers social pressures conspire against getting the proper amount and quality of sleep.
WebMD Medical Reference Reviewed by Amita Shroff, MD on June 18, 2018
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/sleep-children#1
PECs Cue Mats
If your child is Autistic or has other non-verbal difficulties; then these mats may just be the help you are needing.
These mats are in poster size (18×24 inches) but you can print them off to a smaller size if desired.
You and your child can go over the mat and discuss each photo. When he or she needs to tell you something; they can simply point to the photo on the mat to tell you that they are hungry, need time alone, that they are tired or not feeling well.
There will be other mats to follow.
Motherhood is Why They Make Chocolate!
Being a mom; whether you’re working full-time, part-time or staying at home isn’t easy. We all have our days when we want to sit on the bathroom floor and cry. That’s okay. Do it.
Understand that your emotions are there for a reason and releasing those emotions will help you heal.
Our houses may not look like Better Homes & Gardens and that’s okay too. That just means that our kids are having fun. They are fed, clothed, and loved and that is what really matters at the end of the day.
Please don’t punish yourselves when you try something new with your child and he/she doesn’t go for it the first or even the second time. They may alter the way you want the activity to go. That is a good thing! Let them take the reins; they are using their imaginations, they are letting you know that this is too easy or just not interesting enough at the moment. You may have to add an extra twist to activities to make it right for one child that you wouldn’t for another.
Motherhood isn’t easy. That’s why they make chocolate. Seriously!
Chocolate releases endorphins and those endorphins work to decrease stress. There is also a neurotransmitter affected by chocolate which is serotonin and serotonin is known as an anti-depressant.
So when motherhood stresses you out; grab a chocolate bar, read a book with the little ones and breathe.
Separation Anxiety…For Parents
Yes, I said parents. We are so worried about how our little ones will react when they go off for that first day of daycare, preschool, or kindergarten. How will they handle it without me?
So we look to other parents and caregivers, teachers and doctors for ways to prepare our children to take that first step towards independence.
But how do we prepare ourselves? Parents experience separation anxiety too. They question all day “Is my child is getting along with the other children?”, “Is the teacher is spending the proper amount of time with my child?”, “Is she/he eating their lunch and snacks?”, and the list goes on and on and on.
Some parents call numerous times to check on their child, spend minutes even hours in the hallway peering through the classroom window; afraid to leave their child. Laugh if you must, but this is a real thing and it’s saddening.
So parents, how do you prepare yourself as you are preparing your child for this next big step in their lives?
- Visit the school. Talk to the teacher and watch the teacher from outside the classroom. Trust me on this. The ONLY way you are going to see how a teacher truly is with his/her class is to watch when they don’t know you are watching.
- Bond with your child’s teacher. The better you feel about the teacher, the more comfortable you will feel about your child being with him/her each day.
- Make a list of things to do while your child is in school. That closet you’ve wanted to re-organize, that room you’ve wanted to paint, that friend you’ve been waiting to catch up with for lunch? Well, time to get on with it. Keep busy.
- Keep your emotions in check. There is a time and place to show your emotions and the negative is not for your child. I don’t want to sound brassy here, but when your child sees you fall apart; they begin to wonder if they are doing the right thing by leaving you. They pick up on your emotions, whether they are happy, sad, angry, flustered, etc. So, talk to your better half, your friends, or other parents; but don’t let your child see that this is upsetting to you. Show them excitement for this step in their lives. Show them that you are happy for them and you cannot wait to talk to them about their day.
- Start a good-bye ritual. This will help both of you. Some children don’t like the words “good-bye”. It seems to them as if you are leaving for a L-O-N-G period of time. So try something fun instead. Make it your own. Always tell your child you love them. Always tell them to have a great day. Believe it or not; positive actions have positive reactions. So, whether it’s a high five with a “Love ya tator tot! Have a great day!” or a hug followed by “I love you! Make this day the best you can!”
Say it with a smile and then wait until you get to your car to cry. I’ve done it. Others have done it. Others will continue to do it.
We are parents. We are wired to worry. We shouldn’t apologize for that. We shouldn’t apologize for missing our little ones when they aren’t with us.
But we do need to let them spread their wings and fly. Believe me; they always return…dirty laundry and empty stomachs in tow.
Separation Anxiety
Does your little one have separation anxiety? Try one of these when dropping them off at preschool, the babysitter, when you go off to work, etc.
When they hear the words “Good-bye” it seems so final to them; so let them know that you will be back after nap time, or after recess, etc. Don’t ever give them a specific time; this could set them up for disappointment if you get stuck in traffic or if you have to stay late for work.
And never sneak out without letting them know. I don’t know how many times I have had to calm a child down who was more shaken because his/her parent left without saying anything rather than just saying, “I love you and I will see you soon.”
If at all possible; another thing that you can do is arrive a couple of minutes early and play with your child in the classroom or at the sitter’s for just a minute and talk about the fact that you are going to work and they will be staying at school or with the sitter and doing all sorts of things that day. But you will be back to get them after their ______. Tell them that you love them and you want them to have a fun and wonderful day and you can’t wait to hear all about it when you pick them up. And before you leave; choose one of the phrases below.
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